THE Department of Public Works and Highways is being asked to continue the rehabilitation of the Baguio Convention Center.
Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan said word has gotten to him the department is inclined to rescind the contract to work on the convention center following controversies in its implementation.
Domogan said although there is no formal statement from the DPWH, he is asking DPWH Regional Director Tiburcio Canlas to continue with the work or the project could drag on for months because of the election-related ban.
The chief executive asked the DPWH and city stakeholders to hold a dialog. He offered to mediate to break the impasse.
Sun.Star Baguio reached out to Canlas, who was in a meeting in Caticlan with Secretary Mark Villar, Canlas said a statement on the matter will be issued next week.
Domogan confirmed that only parts of the rehabilitation project involving the convention center were halted, pending the arrival of agreed upon materials specifically for flooring.
City stakeholders and the DPWH have not been seeing eye to eye in the past months due to differences over the plans implemented for the BCC.
Domogan said both city stakeholders and the DPWH have valid points and a dialog is in order.
Months ago, city officials sent a letter to Villar, raising concerns surrounding the BCC rehabilitation.
The city implored Villar to look into the project to ensure the convention center’s safety. The DPWH recently complied with some suggestions from the city following a meeting with stakeholders in February.